Clutch-operating mechanism



Jan. 24, 1928.

' 1,657,098 J. J. N. VAN HAMERSVELD CLUTCH OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet l s N Q Q gnueu roz NW4. 35% 4am affozucqs Jan. 24, I928.

- 1,657,098 J. J. N. VAN HAMERSVELD CLUTCH OPERATING MECHANI SM Original Filed Aug 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. 1i. VAN HAMERS'VELD, 0F CLEVELAND,

AND SWASEY COMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, 01-31%, A GOBBEORATION OF OHIO.

original application filed August 11, 1924, Serial This invention relates onto, assreuon TO THE WARNER GLUTCH-OEERATING MEGI-IATPTISM.

No. '?31,409. Divided and this application filed January 2 1, 1925. Serial No. 4,394.

to clutch operating mechanism adapted particularly for use with clutches employed chin es in automatic ma- In certain automatic machines it is cus tomary bodying a movable clutch disengaged and engaged to employ clutches of the type emmember which is through the action block one of which is carried by a lever con nected to the the other movablerelative to 1t.

spring point block are spring point and movable clutch member and Both the wedge-shaped, and they are so arranged that in operating the clutch these two members have a wiping or cumming action in a manner such that when the points of the two wedge-shaped members approach each other,

energy stored in a spring actmg on the spring point, and when the points pass each other the energy thus 15 utilized to disengage cause the ire-engagement built up in the spring the clutch and to of the clutch by moving the movable clutch member into engagement with a companion clutch member.

heretofore constructed, disengaged by spring With this clutch operating mechanism, as the clutch is always pressure, and as far as I am aware, it has not been possible to provide a neutral position without the use of outside mechanism acting on has it been possible, as

lever, nor am aware,

the clutch far as I to use the spring point feature in connection with single acting clutches.

One of the objects of tion is to provide means the present invenwhereby the clutch maybe positively disengaged, though operated through the medium of a spring point and spring point block, it further object is or equivalent means.

to provide means whereby clutch operating mechanism of this general type may be used advantageously with a single acting clutch, or for holding the movable clutch member in neutral position when utilized with a double acting clutch.

A still further object is toprovide means whereby the movable clutch member is positively disengaged and V engaged yieldingly or under the action ot a spring with the movable clutch member yieldingly moved into engagement either with the same clutch member from which it was positively disused in a double acting clutch.

The above and other objects are attained y by my invention which may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings I have shown my invention embodied in a metal working machine which is preferably of the type constituting the subject matter of a co-pending application, Serial No. 731,- 409, filed August 11, 1924-, of which the present application is a division, although my invention is not confined in its field of use to a machine of this particular-class.

in the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view partly in horizontal section and partly in plan of aportion of the metal wdrking machine referred to, and illustrating two embodi merits ot'niy invention, invention being preferably employed in. 0011-. junction with each other in the same machine; Fig. 2 is a detail view of aportion ot a clutch operating lever, the spring point and spring point block of one of the clutches oi Fig. 1 with parts in a slightly .diiierent position from that therein illustrated; Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig.1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4: is a detail view showing a portion ofFig. 3 on an enlarged scale. with part of the clutch operating level-in section; Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially along the line 5 5 of Fig. l, looking in the i the arrows; Fig. 6 is a view looking toward the right of. Fig. removed and showing particularly the spring point block operating members; and Fig. 7 a detail sectional view substantially along the line 7 -7 ct Fig. 1 looking in the direc tion indicated by the arrows;

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a portion of the frame or bed which may be typical of any frame supporting the mechanism with which one ormore clutches operated by my improved clutch operating mechanism may be employed. stance this mechanism includes a shaft 11 to be driven at a plurality of different speeds through gears 1.2, 13, 14: and 15, the means both forms of the direction indicated by In this in-v l clutch member clutch 17 dependently of clutch 16,

1 this shaft 25 and is adapted to 'ment with clutch above, the clutching of for driving which forms no part of the present invention. For the control of the oan ing instrumental in driving shaft 11 through gears 12, 13 or 15, two clutches 16 and 17 are employed. trated, are ofthe double acting type, clutch 16 adapted to cooperate clutch members 19 and 20, and clutch 17 being composed of a movable clutch member 21 adapted to cooperate with two stationary clutch members 22 and 23. It is to be understood that the word stationary is used in the ,sense that the clutch members are held from endwise movement, though, of course, they rotate. The two clutches are in this instance in linewith each other, gear 12 and 19 being at opposite ends of a sleeve 24 in which one end of a shaft 25 has a hearing, this shaft being in alignment with the driven shaft 11. The movable clutch member 18 of clutch 161's keyed to axial movement thereon. Clutch member of clutch 16 is formed on gear 13. which is loosely mounted on shaft 25. Clutch member 22 of clutch 17 is liked to the end of shaft 25, or is formed as anintegral part thereof. Movable clutch member 21 of clutch 17 is keyed tothe driven shaft 11. and is slidable axially thereon between clutch members is formed integral with-gear 1:"), the gear 15 forming a part of a sleeve 26 in whichshaft 11 has a bearing. Thus it will be seen which in Fig. 1 is shown inneutral position, is moved into engagement with clutch member 19, gear 12 is clutched to shaft 25, and when it is moved to the right into engagemember 20, gear 13 is clutched to shaft 25. Likewise, it will be seen that when the movable clutch member 21 of clutch 17 is in engagement with the clutch member 23, as shown in Fig. 1, gear 15 is clutched to shaft 11, which is then disconnected from shaft 25. On the other hand, when the clutch member 21 is moved to the left into engagement with clutch member 22, driven shaft 11 is clutched to shaft which will then be driven either through gear 12, gear 13.01 gear 14. As. explained gears 12 and 13 to shaft 25 is controlled through clutch 16. Then this clutch is in neutral position, shaft 25 may be driven by gear 14, preferably inthrough what is commonly termed an automatic pick-up clutch. That is to say, when clutch member 21 of clutch 17 is thrown to its left hand position, as viewed in Fig. 1, it will be driven by shaft 25 through gear 12, or gear 13 or gear lhdepending upon whether the movable clutch member 18 of clutch 16 is in its left hand position, right hand position, or

Both clutches, asherein illus- 1 cation referred to,

having a movable clutch member '18' with two stationary have a limited 22 and 23. Clutch member 23 of that when clutch member 18, r

1 that in theapplication of my invention to a metal working machine such as constitutes the subject matter of my co-pending appligears 12, 13 and 11 con-- stitute what are termed feed gears and form parts of three gear trains for im mrting feeding movements to tool carrying slides. The gear 15 constitutes one element of a constant high speed driving mechanism few the slides, this mechanism being generally utilized when the tools are approaching or rcceding from the work-piece. y

For the automatic operation of the clutch es 16and 17 there is employed a tappet drum 27 which is rotated by a shaft 28 supported in the frame or body 10. The drum 27 is provided with tappets and cam members for automatically controlling the functions of the machine, and these include two series of tappets 29 which are adapted to engage rollers 30 and 31, these rollers being secured to roller blocks 32 and 33 which are secured to two endwise movable members utilized in the control of clutches 16 and 17, which members are in the form of a rod 3 1, and a sleeve 35 arranged coaxially, the sleeve having a bean, ing ina boss 36 of a gear box 37 which is bolted to the frame 0' bed 10, and the rod 34 having a bearing in sleeve 35. The two roller blocks 32 and 3b are prevented from a swinging or rotating movement by a guide rod 38 which projects out from the end of boss 36,and sliding engagement, as shown in Fig. 7.

The sleeve 35 has secured to it a spring pointblock 39, and rod 3i spring point block i0. Spring point block 39 is adapted to cooperate with a spring point il pressed outward by a spring 42, the spring point and spring being supported in a socket of a clutch operating lever 25 (see Figs. land 1), pivot-ally supported at flat on the gear box 37, and adapted when rocked to shift clutch member 18 of clutch 16.

Spring point block 40 cooperates with a similar spring point 41 which is acted on by a similar spring 42 andalso mounted in a. socket of a clutch (iperating lever 45 pivoted at 46 on the gear box and adapted to shift clutch member 21 of clutch 17.

As the spring point and spring point bloclc have heretofore been used for operating clutches, particularly in metal working machines or other machine tools, the spring point block has been moved relative to the spring point so as to first push in the spring point and compress the spring acting thereon, and when the point of the block passed the point of the spring point, the spring point would slide down the opposite face of the has secured to it a ilu roller block or 33, to the site stationary clutch member. That is to,

ing disengagement or disengagement by spring pressureoi the clutch in certain ins-v chine tools has the disadvantage that under certain conditions, where the ieedis to be changed during the cutting action oil the tools on the workpiece, such is. torsional pressure is created betweenthe teeth oi the clutch members to be disengaged, that disengagement is impossible, and only by giving the clutch teeth a decided taper, may it be possible to overcome the torsional pressure or frictional contact between the teeth of the clutch me nbers to cause the disengagement of the clutch.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the disengagement produced positively independently of the action of the spring, and this is accomplished in the following manner: A positiveactuating device is associated with each spring oint block and arranged so as to positively shift the clutch lever during that half of the movement of the spring point block which depresses the spring point 41 and stores energy in the spr'ng, during which movement, in the prior constructions, the clutch lever remains stationary. "ran positive actuating means is preferably in the term or a swivel plate ll", one of which is provided in association or in connection with each springpoint block, and each being swiveled to or pivotally mounted on a suitable stationary support, in this instance, the gear box 37, by means of a bearingpin efheach of these swivel plates &7 being supported on one of the stationary bearing pins behind Each of these the spring point block.

constructed, is

swivel plates as preferably substantially H-shaped, being swiveled at the center, and provided atopposite endswith slots e9. Engaging in the two slots of the swivel plate l", are two pins and 51, one carried by the spring point block and the othercarried by an extension ofthe associated clutch lever 43 or These pins 50 and 5i-mey be formed integral withthe spring point block and lever, ortliey may be separate members attached thereto. Obviously, theretormeach swivel plate'mechanically connects the spring point block to the associated clutch lever so that the movement imparted to the spring point block is tra smitted in a positive manner to the lever during the movement or the springpoint block which compresses thespring i2 acting on the spring point, there being a direct mechanical connection from n tappet on the tappct drum to the roller 3001 31, to the rod Seer sleeve 35, to the spring point block, and through the swivel plate to the clutch operating lever. During this movement the clutch is disenoi clutch 18. When,

gaged in a positive manner, :and when the point or the spring polnt block 315 moved past the point of the spr1ng-point,;the@spring which was compressed durlng the former: movement is free to cause the engagement of the clutch with the companionstationary clutch member, assuming that the invention used with a double acting clutch, and assuming that the clutch does not have :a neutral position. The action just described takes place with the clutchmember 17, which as previously tated, does mot-require a neutral position. Furthermore, themechanism associated with clutch 16 has the same operation except that in accordance with another feature of my invention, provision is made for holding the movable clutch member neutral position by the action of the spring point and spring point block, a feature not heretofore possible in clutch operating mechanisms of this type. This is accomplishedin connectionwith the clutch operatmeehanism oiclutch18 (which desirably has a neutral position for the reasons already stated) by providing at the apex of the wedgeshaped spring point block 39 anotch into which the pointof spring point i=1 snaps soon as the movableclutch member 18 is disengaged. The pressure of thespring i2 acting on the spring point now serves-to hold the clutch in neutral position, assuming, of course, that the spring point block 39 is permitted by the tap'pets 29 to remain inva position corresponding to the :neutral position however, 1t is desired in a cycle of the machine that the clutch member be moved from neutral position a tappet on the drum 27 will come into action and shift the spring point block so as to positively move (through theswivel plate) the point of the spring point out of the notch so as to permit thespring 42 to cause the re-engagement of 'the clutch. In Fig. 111 have shown a tappet, here desi gnated'flii,

which is shorter than the other tappets of the same series so as to permit the spring point toengage inthe notch 53 0f the spring point block 39'; lt will beseen by the dotted circles representing the different positions of the roller 31 relative to the tappets as illustrated in said figure, that as the drum is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the tappet in advance of the relatively short tappet 29 will cause the movable clutch member 18 of clutch 16 to bemoved into engagement with the stationary clutch member 19, the spring point and spring point block then being in the relative positions indicated in Fig. 2. Also it will be seen thatwhen the relatively short tappet 29 engages roller 31, movable clutch member 18 will be disengaged from clutch member 19 and moved to neutral position, the relative positions of the parts then being as shown in Fig. 1. Also it will be seen that Ill) when the tappet rearwardly of the relatively short tappet 29 engages the roller 31, theclutch member 18 is moved from neutral position again into engagement with the clutch member 19. It will be understood, of course, that by the proper disposition of tappets the movableclutch member 18 can as readily be moved from neutral position into engagement with the opposite clutch member 20"or-'from one extreme position. to another withoutstopping in neutral position if such action is desired. thisbeing indicated by the two lowermost dotted line positions of the r0ller3l. i

In-Fig. 5 have shown by full lines the position of theswivel plate which is associated with the spring po1nt block 39 when the clutch 16 is in neutral position, i. 0. when the spring point engages in the notch 53 and in this same figure I have shown by dotted lines the positions of the. swivel plate when the movable clutch member :18 is'in its two extreme positions, i. e. when in engagement with the clutch member l9 and with the clutch member 20.

It will be seen, therefore, that in thus movingthespring point outiof the notch 53, the spring point block may be moved in either direction so as to cause the movable clutch member to return into engagement with the same stationary clutch member from which it was previously disengaged, or into. engagementwith the companion or opposite stationary clutch: member, this beinga feature not possible with prior the spring point and spring ciple.-.

iItrwill be equally obviousthat in some constructions wherein a neutral position is desired, a double acting clutch may not be necessary, in which event the movable clutch memberwill be positively moved out of engagement with the stationary clutch member to neutral position, and then will be moved by the action of the springback into engagementwith the same clutch member when the springpoint block is returned to its former position by movement in the opposite direction to that which it was previously given when the clutch was being disengaged.

It will be understood that by the addition of the swivel plate 4:? in connection with the spring point and spring point block clutch operating means, the clutch lever is positively shiftedto disengage the clutch through the action of the swivel plate whichmechanically connects the clutch lever with i the spring point block but when the points of the spring point and spring point block pass eaclrother, the spring associated with the spring pointcauses yieldable engagement of the clutch, provision being made through the medium of the notch 53 for holding the clutch in neutral position and for allowing the movable clutch menibertto yieldinglyfiem point block princlutches operated on gage either stationary or non-slidable clutch member. a a a While I have shown only one embodiment of the clutch operating mechanism in so far as the instrumentalities are concerned which shift and control the clutch lever, equivalent means or devices might be employed, and I do not desire to be confined to the precise constructions or arrangements illustrated, but aim in my claims to coverall modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope ofmy invention as dclined in the appended claims.

Furthermore, I invention to any particular type of machine notwithstanding the fact that one particular type has been referred to in the specification.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a clutch, a spring point and a co-operating spring point block, and a clutch lever carrying one of said parts and connected to the other.

2. In combination with a clutch, a clutch lever, a spring block, one movable with the lever and the other movable to actuate the lever, the lever being connected to the last mentioned part.

3. In combination with a clutch, a clutch lover, a spring point and a spring point block, one movable with the lever and the other movable to actuate the lever and connected to the latter, said springpoint and spring point block having provision for holding theclutch inneutral position.

l. In combination witha clutch having a movable clutch member and a lever for shift ing the same, a spring point carried by the lever, a spring point block, cooperating with the spring point to cause yielding engage ment with the clutch, and means acting on the lever to cause positive disengagement of the clutch.

5. In combination with a clutch of the double acting type, having a movable "clutch member and oppositely dlsposed :non-slidable clutch members, means for causing positive disengagement of said movable clutch member from one of said non-slidable clutch members and yieldable engagement with either of the non-slidable clutch members, means being provided for holding the clutch in neutral position. i v

6. In combination with a clutch of the doubleaotingtype having a movable clutch 'member and oppositely disposed nonvslidable clntchinembers, means for causing the movable clutch member to bemoved out of engagement with either non-slidable clutch member and into engagement with either non-slidable clutch .member, the disengage ment being positive and the ire-engagement being yieldable, means being provided for holding the clutch in neutral position.

7. The combination with a clutch having a movable clutch member, of a clutch operado not intend to limit my point and a spring point the lever.

mentioned parts, and

8. In combinatlo-n with a clutch having a movable clutch member, an operating mechanism therefor comprising a spring point and a spring point block, one of said parts having a notch-adapted to receive the point of the other part to hold the clutch disengaged and one of said parts being connected to the movable clutch member, and an operating member connected to the other of said parts so as to shift the same.

9. In combination with a'clutch, a clutch lever, a spring point and spring point block, means for shifting one of the last mentioned parts, one of said parts being carried by the lever and means forming a positive connection between said part which is shifted and 10. In combination with a clutch, an operating mechanism therefor comprising a clutch lever, a spring point and spring point block, means for shifting one of the last a swivel plate forming a positive connection between said part and the lever.

11. In combination with a clutch havinga movable clutch member, a clutch operating mechanism including a spring point and spring point block, an operating member connected to one of said parts so as to shift the same, a member carrying the other of said parts and connected to the movable clutch member, and means forming a positive connection between the operating member and said second-named member whereby the clutch is positively disengaged.

12. In combination with a clutch having a movable clutch member, a clutch operating mechanism including a spring point and spring point block, an operating member connected to one of said parts so as to shift the same, a member carrying the other of said parts and connected to the movable clutch member, and means forming a positive connection between the operating member and said second-named member whereby the clutch is positively disengaged, means being provided in said operating mechanism whereby the clutch may be held in neutral position.

' In testimony whereof,I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN J. N. VAN HAMERSVELD. 

